Liber Ecclesiastes, 6

1. est et aliud malum quod vidi sub sole et quidem frequens apud homines

1. There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:

2. vir cui dedit Deus divitias et substantiam et honorem et nihil deest animæ ejus ex omnibus quæ desiderat nec tribuit ei potestatem Deus ut comedat ex eo sed homo extraneus vorabit illud hoc vanitas et magna miseria est

2. A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.

3. si genuerit quispiam centum et vixerit multos annos et plures dies ætatis habuerit et anima illius non utatur bonis substantiæ suæ sepulturaque careat de hoc ego pronuntio quod melior illo sit abortivus

3. If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.

4. frustra enim venit et pergit ad tenebras et oblivione delebitur nomen ejus

4. For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.

5. non vidit solem neque cognovit distantiam boni et mali

5. He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:

6. etiam si duobus milibus annis vixerit et non fuerit perfruitus bonis nonne ad unum locum properant omnia

6. Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?

7. omnis labor hominis in ore ejus sed anima illius non impletur

7. All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.

8. quid habet amplius sapiens ab stulto et quid pauper nisi ut pergat illuc ubi est vita

8. What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?

9. melius est videre quod cupias quam desiderare quod nescias sed et hoc vanitas est et præsumptio spiritus

9. Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.

10. qui futurus est jam vocatum est nomen ejus et scitur quod homo sit et non possit contra fortiorem se in judicio contendere

10. He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.

11. verba sunt plurima multa in disputando habentia vanitatem

11. There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.